Further, a device for manufacturing the data carrier and an analogous method are proposed, which are also suitable for manufacturing the claimed layer arrangement. Further, the present invention relates to a computer program product comprising control commands which implement the method proposed herein or operate the device proposed herein.
DE 10 2014 116 537 A1 discloses a functional skin plaster which comprises a first surface and a second surface as well as a metal layer, a ferrite layer and an antenna layer. However, in this context it is disadvantageous that the antenna layer is arranged for example on the surface of the plaster, meaning that it is not protected. Further, a skin plaster which is subject to different requirements is also proposed, such as a chip card, since a skin plaster always has to be read out from only one side once it is attached to human skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,390,366 B1 discloses a smart card comprising a layer construction which provides that an antenna arrangement is introduced into a metal layer. Thus, these are not separate layers, and in particular the antenna is substantially integrated into a layer on the surface of the shown layer arrangement. A flat antenna layer, which would be arranged between a metal layer and a ferrite layer, is not shown.
In the prior art, different layer arrangements are known which relate for example to smart cards or skin plasters. However, in this context problems may result from the fact that, during wireless communication using an antenna, interference occurs in that metal elements or layers within the layer arrangement act on radiation in such a way that a signal is distorted or can no longer even be recognised. On the other hand, the customer often wishes to incorporate metal layers into corresponding models. This can be advantageous because the metal layer stabilises the card body as a whole or simply creates an aesthetic optical effect. In addition, metal surfaces or at least metal layers in card-shaped data carriers are found to be particularly stylish and provide a particular haptic experience.
Generally, smart cards are known which comprise among others a micro controller, a memory and further components. These further components include induction coils, which can act as an antenna in such a way that a current is induced in said antenna and is used to supply current to the corresponding electronic components. However, in contactless chip cards of this type, it is disadvantageous that a metal layer can potentially have a negative effect on the functionality of the antenna.
To overcome this problem, various layer arrangements are known, it having been proposed for example to integrate the antenna into a shielding layer in such a way that the antenna is exposed towards the surface of the card body and the shielding layer merely laterally encloses the antenna arrangement. This does reduce the interfering effect of the metal, but the result is not sufficiently satisfactory for interference-free communication to be possible. If the antenna unit is integrated into the metal layer, interference still occurs, in such a way that a negative effect on the antenna is to be expected.
A further, independent problem is that for example chip cards which comprise a metal layer cannot be processed by conventional production machines, since the antenna has to be appropriately integrated into the metal layer. By contrast, it is known to provide the individual layers and to arrange electronic components between them which are subsequently laminated together to form a card body. However, if there are no separate layers in this context, standard production methods cannot be used, in particular in combination with a dual interface. Thus, a problem with conventional methods is that smart cards which comprise metal layers and which also provide RFID functionality can only be manufactured in a complex manner.